Dirigible headlight.



E. C. HUMPHREYS da C. E. ARCHER.

DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. l. Isls.

Patented Mar. 19. 1918 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

01465 Elem! eP, Edvalfd CHumDywew GRO: 104,0

756m 1,/ d Maf/10% E. C. HUMPHREYS & C. E. ARCHER.

OIR'GIBLE HEADUGHI.

APPLICATIGN HLED NOV. l. l9l6. 1,259,867. Patented Mar. 19, 191s.

2 SNEUP-SHEET 2.

mw@ W 1,

. amant@ eadlight is4 including mec anisms o UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFTCE.

EDWARD C. HUMIHBEYS AND. CHARLES E. ARCHER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

DIRGIBLE HEADLIGHT.

Application led November 1, 1916.

T o all 'whom it may concern.:

Be it knownthat we, EDWARD C. HUM- riiiinxs and CHARLES E. ARCHER, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dirigible Headlights, of which the'following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawin s.

This invention re aies to airigeriwm lights and moreparticularly to that typ e headlight commonly styled a spot light, adapted for mountin on the windshield or a suitable Support o an automobile, to be manually' manipulated from the drivers seat so as to cast a ra of li ht ahead of the automobile 'or vhic e and 1n any desired direction.

Ouiinvention aims to-provide a dirigible headlight that may be easily swung about a horizontal axis or rotated about a vertical axis, thus providing adjustment' in two diiections vv ich .permits of the chauieur of an; automobile or 'driver of any vehicle directingnrays of light inv a desired direction or wigwagging the headlight for sial puroses. To accom lish such adjus ents, a

rovided with novel supports rable independent of each otheror in ,syn ronism and during such adjustment provision is made for conduc electrical ener to an incandescent lamp orming part of t e headlight.

VOur invention further aims to provide a dirigible headlight casing to which a conventional form of spot light or a specially designed headlight may be 4detachably mounted with sufficient cable that may be stored on an automatic reel topermit of the headlight being -removed from the casing and used at a remote point. For instance, considering the dirigible headlight casin as carried l y the windshield of an automo ile, it is possible to remove the headlight and carry the same to the rear part of the automobile to aiord illumination and facilitate repairs or observations at night.

Our invention further aims toaccomplish the above and other results by a mechanical construction which will be hereinafter specically described and then claimed, and reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a dirigible Speciiication of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19,V 1918.

Serial No. 128,866..

headlight, partly broken away and partly -in section;

Fig. 2 is a plan of a windshield bracket;

Fig. 3 is an end view of a portion of the dirigible headlight operating mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line V-V of Fig. 15

Fig. 6 'is a plan of a dirigible headlight, as applied `to a windshield or other support of a vehicle;

Fi 7 is a side elevation of the saine, showing the headlight ropei` removed from the casing and suspen ed'zat one side .of the vehicle, and

Fig. 8 is cable reel.

In describin my invention by aid of the views above re erred toI desire to point out that the same are intended as merely illustrative of the dirigible headlight as nowconstructed, and'I do not caretoeoniine myself tothe precise .construction and arrangement` of -parts shown. "l`lie following ticscription is therefore tozbe lbroadly 4construed as including such substitute construc tions and arrangements of arts which are a detail view of an automatic -the obvious equivalents `oft iose to be hereinater referred Inthe drawings, 1 denotes ay portion of a windshield havin a frame 2 and clamped thereon and "capa le oflateral adjustment about the vertical axis of the frame 2 is a bracket generally designated 3. This bracket is 4refei'ably made of a plurality of parts inc uding frame clamping iortions 4, arm clamping portions 5 and w s 6 and 7 connecting the portions iand :Land adding rigidity to the bracket. Fastening means S in connection with the web 7 Vpermit of the bracket being adjusted relativje to the windshield frame 2 and fastening means 9 in connection with the web 6 ermits of a tubular arm 10 bein {irmly hed b the clamping portions 5 o the bracket. y invention is not necessarily limited to this specific type of bracket, although it is preferable to use the same since lateral adjustment may be obtained that permits of thearm I0 being positioned at a desired angle relative to the windshield.

The tubular arm 10 has the outer end thereof terminating in a. hollow cup shaped head l1 provided w'ith an 'annular'interinr :sont l2 for u disk 1B oi insulation inutoriul. This disk has u concentric opening it and extending therethrough nndlongitudinnlly of the arm l0 is n. tubular shaft 15 which has the inner end thereof provided with stepped annular shoulders 16 and 1T forming the hub portion of a hand wheel 18. The annular shoulder 1-6 is journaled iu the inner end of the tubular arm 10, with the shoulder 17 abutting the end of said :i1-ui, and the periphe of the shoulder 1"? is toothed or notcher as at 19, to 'be engaged by a Het resilient spring 20, carried by the inner end of the crm 10. 4This ring constitutes means for preventing accldcntul rotation of the tubular shaft 15 Within the tubular arm 10. t l

The outer end of the tubular shaft 15 is mounted on and secured to an apertured boss 2l carried by the reat'lwall 22*l of a housing 23. The rear wall 22ofthe housing lhas an annular lian e 24 extendi into the head 11 of the tub er ann 10 en adapted for rotation therein' when thes housing 23 is rotated about thefaxis of tletubular arm 10 by rotating the -hand wheel 16. lThe housing 23 has a detachable front #all 25 so that may be had to the nteor of the housing, and thelop" 'wall ofthe housing has an apertured 'f tubular shaft 1 4 ha Mounted'on Y the tubularslurft27.4 gear Whl 301 meshn with a. .bc'i'eledj 31 mounte on the'end'of @iso df'shpafforrod 32 extendingthrough the sperturcd boss 21 into the housing 23. f The'solid shaft or rbd 32 is concentric of the tubular shaft 15. The inner end of said rod has annnlarstepped shoulders 33 and 34, th'former bein )ournaled in the hub portion of the han wheel 18 and the latter abutting the hub ortion of the hand wheel to copcrate with t e beveled ear wheel 31 in reventing longitudinal isplecement of e rod 32 relative to the tubular shaft 15. .The annular shoulder 34 of the rod 32 has a crank 35 and a handle 36 und said handle is grovided with a spring pressed detent 37 a opted to enga e in notches or sockets 38 rovided there or in the outer face of the and whee118. The spring ressed dotant 37 constitutes means for hol ing the rod 32 against accidental rotation in the tubular shaft 15, V consequently the tubular shaft 27 is held against accidental rotation or until Such time as said shaf t is rotated by swinging the crank 35 relative to the hond wheel 18.

The upper or outerend of the tubular the dislilll 0m the -contact rin receso? shaft 27 is provided with u sent 35) for n headlight casing 40 somewhat paraboliform. The headlight casing is fixed on the seat 39 for rotuliiccontinuity with the shaft 27 and scid easing has diuinetrically opposed walls thereof, at the open end thereof, provided with bayonet shaped slots l1 adapted to receive pins eli: carried by a headlight 13 mounted in the open end of the Casin 1.0. The slots 4l und the pins 12 constitute means for detachably holding the headlight relative to its casing, and said heedli ht is also somewhat pareboliform, but of ess length than the casing 40, to afford c Storq age compartment 44 in the inner end of the casing. The headlight 43 is of the reflector type and `hes as its illuminating medium an incandescent electric lamp 45.' In order that the headlight maybe suspended from u suitable supportmhen removed from the Casin 40, the shell 0f the headlight has e es 6 and 47, ont` adapted for supporting t e hedli t to past its beam downwcrdly and the 0 er for suporting the headlight to cast its beam in a ter-al plane.

-Reencewill now be had to the manner of 'au electric current to the lamp 45"of e heedlight, so that thesamo mayV be' illuminated duringpadjustnlents thereof'z Ifhcsource of electricalcnergy, as batteries, shown'but. lead wires 48 from .nvr-'felwtnel en am mar-w10; @mi

es om' A ,gq a einem f n ti: Thai-leid? connected'to binding posts 49 and-*.50ct Y Y Aogposite face of the disk of nsulation'f t ereiare" concentric contact rings 51 and 52, with the binding posts 49 and 50 connected thereto. The rear wall 22 of the housin 23 has binding posts 53 and 54 and these indiu posts are provided with contact fingers or rushes 55 and 56 respectively, normally engaging the 52 and 51.

Arrange transversely of the housing 23 is a support 57 of insulation muterial and mounted onr said support are contact members 58 and 59. The contact member '58 is connected by a wire 60 to the binding post 53 and the contact member 59 is connected by a. wire 61 to the binding post 54, said wires being arranged so as not to interfere with the operatori of beveled gear wheels 30 and 31.

Mounted in the tubular vertical shaft 27 is a. bushin 62 of insulation andvin the bushing 62 is a-metallic sleeve 63 having the lower end thereof extending from the beveled gear wheel 30 to be engaged by the new ne Y Contact member 59. In metallic sleeve 63 is a bushing 64 of insulation and mounted in said bushing is a rod 65, said rod having the lower end thereof normali engaged by the contact member 58. A cab e 66 connects the upper end of the metallic sleeve 63 with thc incandescent lamp 45 and another cable 67 connects said lamp with the upper end of the rod 65.

The cables 66 and 67 pass through an eye 68 in the headlight casing and said cables are of sullicent length to permit of the headlight 43 being detached and carried to a remote point or to the side of an automobile or vehicle, as shown in Fig. 7. The cables 66 and 67 are adapted to be Icoiled within the storage compartment 44,' 'ind sai'd cables lpass throu h a suitable insulator 69 carried y the she of the headlight 43T In Fig. 8 there is shown an automatlcreel which we may use in connection with. the casing 40. The reel is designated 70 and is spring actuated in one direction similar to the operation of a curtain shade roller. Brackets 71 support the reel and at'the ends thereof are contact rings 72 forl brushes 78, carried bythe casinghiO and electrically con nected as in the o er a ent. The headlight proper 'has a cable 4' wound-'oir the ree and connected tothe 72. The reel device for the eadlight cable and facilitates the The operation, a artial rotation o f the hand wheel 18 in ei er direction causes the spring 20 to recede'over the teeth 19 of the hub of the hand wheel and rotary movement to the hollow shift 415. As the shaft is rotated the housing 23de swan relative to the head 11 of the hollorr'arm 1 Since the rod 32 is supported by the housing and the tubular shaft 15 and held by the detent 37, the rod 32 will also be turned with thetubular shaft 15 and the beveled gear wheels 30 and 31 will remain stationary relat'ive to each other, consequently the housin 23 is bodily swung about the longitudine axis of the tubular arm 10 and the headlight casing 40 tilted to one side or the other. During this operation, the contact fingers or brushes 55 and 56 wipethe contact -rin 51 and 52 and thereby maintain an electrlc circuit in connection with the lam When it is desired to swin the eadli ht casing- 40 in a horizontal p ane and t us turn the headlight 43 to the ri ht or to the left, the hand wheel 18 is left a one and the rod 32 actuated through the medium of the handle 36. In this instance, the housin 28 remains stationary and the gear whee 31 imparts a rotary movement to the vertical tubular shaft 27, which in turn shifts the headlight casing t in a desired direction. During this operation an electric circuit is ing the steerin plrovides 'an automatic ftake up maintained in connection with the incandescentlamp 45 through the medium of the contact members 58 and 59 engaging the rod 6:3 and the sleeve 63 respectively. It is also to be noted that during this last mentioned opy eration that the iiange or collar 28 of the vertical tubular shaft 27 supports the headlight casing and headlight relative to the housing 23. thereby relieving the beveled gear Wheel 3l and appurtenant parts of stresses and strains, other than the frictional Contact with the beveled gear wheel 30.

The headlight may be used in connection with any vehicle provided with a source of electrical energy, and as illustrating a distinct advantage in connection with the headlight, there is shown in Figs. 6 and 7 a delivery truck. The bracket 3 is placedat a height on the windshield or front of the truck body convenient to a seat for the chauleur and the tubular arm 10 is placed at an angle that will position the hand wheel 18 in proximity to the steering post or column of the truck whereby a chauffeur can easily and uickly manlpulate the hand wheel 18 of t e handle 36 .without neglectwheel. urthermore, the angularity of t e tubular arm 10 so positions the headlight as will permit of turnsame in any direction without meeting rence from an part of the vehicle. Since? merchandise Vis often delivered at night'and addrees or delivery instructions musty observed, the advanta of having 'the dlight proper detachab e relative to the isl nnmediatel a arent. The

connection between'the' ea ight and the casing is soph that the headli ht canbe easily and quickly detached an carried to either side or to the rear portion of the truck for the convenient use of the chau'eur. The eyes 46 and 47 permit'of the headlight being suspended inside of the truck or outside thereof, and as a matter of fact, light may be directed on any part' of the truck when repairs are to be made at night. We attach considerable importance-to thls feature of` our invention, as we have combined a ortable headlight with a dirigible casing t erefor, and during the various uses positive and reliable electrical connections are established which will readily withstand vibrations incurred by pleasure and commercial vehicles encountering rough roads or streets.

What we claim is:

1. In a dil-igible headli ht, an arm adapted for attachment to a vehic e, concentric shafts in said arm, a housing connected to one of said shafts to be ad'usted thereby, an electric headlight on said ousing, a gear transmission between said housing and the other shaft so that said electric headlight may be adjusted b said shaft, and electric conductors exten ing through said arm adapted to supply current to said electric headllght.

2. In u (lirigihle ladlighl, un umn adapted for attachment to a vehicle, conoenl ric shafts in said 2mn. a housing connvcl0d`to one of said shafts to be adjusted thereby. a headA light on Said housing, a gear transmission between said housing und the other shaft so that said casing may bc adjusted by said shaft, cables connected t0 said headlight, lend-in wires in said arm, und moans in said housing establishing electrical connections between said cables nnd said lcad-in wires.

3. In a dirigiblo headlight, a stationary arm, contact rings carried thereby, an adinstnhlr` housing carried by said arm, con- EDWARD C. HUMPHREYS. CHARLES E. ARCHER.

\\"itnesses:

KARL H. BUTLER, ANNA M. Donn.

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